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Laptops offer a whole new, improved realm of learning for students. By their very nature, they make all lessons interactive, keeping students engaged in the learning process. They can provide instant feedback and assistance, and serve as a source for limitless new knowledge. With proper supervision, the laptop driven classroom can be the ideal environment for any learner.

Laptops can put education directly into the hands of the students. With each student (or pairs of students) working at their own pace, they can complete, review, and repeat tasks as necessary for their understanding. Teachers can create interactive lessons, or direct students to learning resources that already exist (web sites, CD/DVD media, etc.). Traditional resources, such as texts and movies, easily roll over onto the computer screen, sharing the spotlight with more novel flash activities and educational games.

Many programs and activities offer immediate grading/scoring, providing students with the instantaneous satisfaction of knowing they did a good job. Conversely, it can also tell them when they need a vast amount of practice, and gives them the chance to hone their skills before moving onwards without a proper understanding of the topic, warding off future confusion and misconceptions. Better still, the immediate scoring lets students compare and compete with their friends and peers. Some programs even allow students to see their rankings compared to the entire school, or even the world.

It has always been impossible for a teacher to be everywhere at once, though heaven knows we try. A laptop cannot do away with that need, but it can help alleviate the burden, as some questions are easily answered with instantaneous, computerized help. Help menus and FAQ's exist to deal with the most routine questions, keeping the teacher's need to address them down to a minimum. They also help to build a student's self-reliance, as they realize that they can find answers on their own. Tools such as spell check and grammar check also help, not only in constructing well-written documents, but also in learning the proper spelling and usage of grammar (provided the students actually pay attention to the corrected versions). Students appreciate not losing points for improper punctuation (and no longer have an excuse when they do).

Research becomes more efficient, and supplemental information is readily available for those topics that spark interest in individual learners. Web resources exist on most any

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